Your faith or your family? Elmahdi in Morocco made a courageous decision

The church in North Africa is growing, with increasing numbers of people giving their lives to Jesus. But many are forced to keep their newfound faith secret because of the risk of persecution – people like Elmahdi from Morocco.

Elmahdi* loved his wife. She was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. But, secretly, Elmahdi also loved Jesus. He knew that, in Morocco, following Jesus would come at a cost. But it was only when his wife found out about his faith and threatened to divorce him that he discovered just how great the cost was to be.

Open Doors partners in many regions are reporting a notable surge in conversions to Christianity, especially among young people. Many of these are the result of simple curiosity. They want to find out about Christianity, so they search the internet, connect with social media. And they discover Jesus. 

But there is a cost to curiosity. 
 

Discovering the truth

Elmahdi, a young man in Casablanca, Morocco, encountered Christian teaching on Facebook. Deeply moved by what he found – especially by the extraordinary life of Jesus – in 2019, he gave his life to Christ. 

He had to keep it hidden. He loved his wife but she, like all her family, was a strictly devout Muslim. Elmahdi didn’t want to provoke a conflict, so he kept his conversion secret and made up excuses to allow him to attend church. 

Inevitably, his wife became suspicious. When she searched his phone she discovered the evidence: chat messages with fellow church members; Christian books and songs, and, worst of all, a digital copy of the Bible. His secret was out. 

At first, she, too, held back from confrontation. Maybe it was a phase. So she encouraged him to participate in things like the prayers and fasting during Ramadan, or attending Quran reading sessions at her brother’s home. But Elmahdi just made more excuses. 

Finally, the crunch point came. She confronted Elmahdi with the evidence. He confessed his faith in Christ, but emphasised that he had no intention of imposing his beliefs on her or pressuring her to convert. He loved her. She was the woman he wanted to spend his life with.

It was no good. She gave him an ultimatum: revert to Islam or face divorce. 

But Elmahdi could not go back. 
 

Following Christ at any cost

Aided by her father, Elmahdi’s wife instituted divorce proceedings. Under Moroccan law, a husband who leaves Islam for a different religion faces almost certain legal defeat, with custody of the children typically defaulting to the mother. This was the outcome for Elmahdi. Even worse: unlike most cases, he is also prohibited from even seeing his sons. 

For some two years, Elmahdi has lived with this devastating loss. Understandably, he is tormented with thoughts of reverting to Islam just so he can see the children he loves. Yet he remains steadfast in his faith, comforted and consoled by his relationship with Christ. 

Elmahdi has laid aside his own desires to follow Jesus. He carries a cross of loneliness and rejection. But he is prepared to pay that price for the sake of all that he has found in Jesus Christ.

Persecution across North Africa presents a formidable challenge. The opposition and hostility faced by these potential converts often impede their educational and professional pursuits. Persecuted converts require increased support and assistance to continue their studies and advance in their careers. Those who lose their jobs or struggle to secure employment need help to establish small projects to sustain themselves. Addressing these challenges, among others, necessitates heightened prayer and encouragement. Consequently, many converts feel compelled to keep their faith concealed to avoid further persecution and societal backlash.

*Names changed for security reasons